Under the Stars
by Madin312
Summary: Shipwrecked with nothing but the clothes on his back, Prince Hans learned what it means to love and to be loved when he stumbled upon an orphaned little girl. Rated T for some swearing here and there.
1. Chapter 1 : Prologue

**Under the Stars**

**Prologue**

**Okay, I know I should be updating my other fics, but I've updated "The Past is in the Past" for the past few days like crazy, and I have a new idea for another Hans-centric story. What can I say, I like the guy. He acts kind yet inside, he's a manipulative bastard… just like me. I'm serious; I can be pretty manipulative if I want to. **

**And I have a few other fanfics that I haven't updated in Bioshock and Avatar archive, but with Legend of Korra Book 3 not coming yet, I don't have the drive to continue yet. Same goes for my Bioshock fanfic. But enough of that, I present you "Under the Stars".**

* * *

He couldn't believe that his plan had failed. It was perfect. He had almost succeeded in gaining control. He just hadn't counted the possibility that Anna was stubborn enough to find her way back to Elsa.

And now, he was stuck in a small cold cell with only the clothes on his back. It has been three days since his "departure" from Arendelle. By his calculation, they should arrive in the Southern Isles in two or three more days.

He dreaded the thought of meeting his twelve brothers again. They had brought nothing but misery for his whole life. He didn't lie when he said he had been searching for his own place for most of his life. For most of his life, the Southern Isles has never been his home.

The invisible, unwanted thirteenth child does not suit any purpose nor is he special in any way. He read, studied, trained in swordsmanship in order to get his brother's attention. But to no avail, they barely acknowledge him.

So when the news reached his ears that one of the Princes should represent the Southern Isles during the Queen of Arendelle's coronation, he had jumped at the first chance. The rest of his brother did not show their interest anyway. With permission from his oldest brother, Bjorn, the current King, he set out for Arendelle.

He had planned to woo the Queen, marry her and show his brothers that he was not one to be ignored, show that he measures to something, that he wasn't the invisible thirteenth child any longer. But his own greed for power and impatience had made him hasty. And now he was sent back "home" in a less than dignified manner.

The tray of food in front of him was untouched. He didn't feel like eating this evening. He sat down quietly and rubbed his cramped legs. If only the cell had more space, he could stretch his legs. It was night and he could see some of the crew lounging around on the deck. They paid him no mind. Surprising, because Hans expected the crew to either harass him or at least throw insults at him. But they had done no such things.

_Maybe the Queen had ordered them to treat him good, _thought Hans. That wasn't very unlikely. He had figured that both the Queen and her sister don't seem to be the type of people that would let someone suffer, no matter who they are. Though he was starting to think Anna might have become a little different because of him.

_Well, at least she won't be such a fool anymore… _Hans couldn't believe how easy he had tricked her. He figured she was desperate for love, but to be that desperate. He had taken a gamble when he proposed. He was actually a little surprised when she had said yes to his proposal.

Hans leaned back against the wall. The wind was starting to pick up, and the air started to turn a little humid as well. It was going to rain. He looked at his clothes, the same one he wore in Arendelle. The guards had taken the grey coat he wore during the eternal winter. It was actually offered by Arendelle's head servant, Kai, if he remembered correctly. The coat was supposed to be the late King's, but seeing as Hans was the same size as him, Kai offered the coat to him.

He was starting to worry that he would instead die of cold rather than at the hands of his brothers. Perhaps that would be more merciful. His brothers would have taken their sweet time with him.

He took a glance outside. The cloud started to turn darker. Hans had a bad feeling churning in his stomach. He feared this would turn into a storm. But he could do nothing, so he waited. He tried to calm himself, watching the clouds turn darker. He could already smell the rain. He was startled when he saw lightning in the horizon. The light was gone in just a moment, but the sound of thunder hadn't come yet.

A few seconds had gone by; he thought the rumble might never come. But he was soon startled yet again at the sound of the thunder. He nearly jumped to his feet. It was one of the loudest thunders he has ever heard. It was like the sky itself was falling on top of their heads.

He nibbled at the stale loaf of bread from the food tray he was given a few hours ago, hoping that eating something would calm his nerves.

A few seconds later, he saw men coming out of the barracks. The captain shouted orders to his men. They all moved frantically, hoping that their effort would ensure their survival. From his position, Hans could barely see it, but he caught a glimpse of the waves. It was getting higher by the second. He narrowed his eyes as the harsh wind struck his face. He could feel the waves crashing against the side of the ship. He decided to sit down; fearing that he would lose his balance with how much the ship was swaying.

That was when someone shouted, "ROGUE WAVE! Brace yourself!"

Hans tried to see the wave. Everyone outside were holding on to the rails or mast, anything. He could see the giant wave coming from the right side of the ship. Hans tried to hold on to the metal doors, but as soon as the wave hit, he lost his grip and crashed against the wall of his cell. He groaned as he tried to rub his shoulder to soothe the pain, but another wave forced him to hold on to something. Some of the sea water had found its way to the deck, and to his cell.

He spat the saltwater that he had accidentally swallowed, gagging at the foul taste. He took deep ragged breaths, relieved that he was still alive.

"Another rouge wave! Brace yourself; this one seems to be bigger!" The captain shouted through the storm at the helmsman, "Try to take the wave head on. Do anything so that we won't be hit at the side again!"

"Yes, sir!"

The helmsman turned the wheel sideways as fast as he could. The ship was now heading straight on the giant wave. Hans can now see just how big the wave was. He could only hope that the helmsman attempt would be miraculous and they all live to see the light of day.

Everyone waited. No one said anything for a moment. It was like waiting for a pin to drop. The wait was painfully long. Except that now, the pin was an 80 foot giant wave. Hans gripped the doors of his cell, silently cursing his fate.

For a moment, he wished he could rewind time, change the past, and make amends. He could mend his relationship with his siblings; he could get to know the bubbly airhead girl that got him in this mess. He could have known what it feels to love and to be loved.

But it seemed that fate has different plans.

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**Cliffhangers! I'm so evil! This is just the prologue. Be ready for more Hans. I'm already working on the next chapter. So expect an update in a few days or less. I've had this idea in my head for a few days now, and I feel like I need to let it out.**

**I can guarantee that this would be different than other Hans-centric stories. Review, follow, or favorite, guys and girls!**

**I do not own Frozen. That much is obvious. If I do, this would already be considered for the next Disney movie.**


	2. Chapter 2 : Icarus

**Under the Stars**

**Icarus**

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Hans wondered if this was how Hell feels like, cold and dark. He could not see a thing. The darkness surrounded him like a blanket, not giving any openings for light. Somehow the cold slowly started to ebb away and warmth slowly took over. He felt his heart slowly beating against his chest, his burning lungs begged for air.

Hans opened his eyes and saw the darkness of the open ocean. His senses had not come back yet. He took in all that surrounded him. The saltwater blurred his vision and burned his eyes, but he could see some things, though they were somewhat blurred. Dark blob like objects he assumed to be wreckages, and many other blotches that looked like floating bodies. Sunlight cut through the water and shone on him. He welcomed the warmth as he closed his eyes in bliss.

It felt weird though, as if the light was slowly diminishing, like it was slowly leaving him…

"_Don't leave me here!"_

_ "Sorry Little Brother, but I have other things to take care, bye!"_

Hans fully opened his eyes and quickly shook his head. The pain burning in his lungs finally registered in his brain and he used his arm and legs to head to the surface as fast as he could. In his haste, he swallowed some seawater, but he ignored the salty taste of the water and kept swimming towards the surface as his survival instincts took over his body.

His arms and legs burned from pain, but he kept going for the light, afraid that it would diminish if he didn't get up there in time.

As he broke to the surface, he coughed out some water he had swallowed and took deep breaths of fresh oxygen. He let himself float aimlessly on the water before eying his surroundings. Various wreckages littered the sea. He grabbed a floating plank near him.

Nothing remained of the storm but for a few stray clouds. The sea had also calmed as well. He wondered if there were any other survivors other than him. Likely not, if his observation was accurate. He could see floating bodies in the distance. He could see what remained of the ship's mast floating aimlessly in the distance.

A body floated near him, and as much as he loathed having to get near a corpse, he braved himself and checked the corpse's pockets, hoping for anything to help him. He hoped he would find some food.

Luckily, he found a half bitten pickled cucumber. He could care less if it was already bitten. It was food, a luxury he could not afford right now. He was not going to be picky.

Hefting himself on the plank, he held the pickle in his right hand and pushed the body away with his left. He was about to take a big bite out of it when he remembered that the pickle was the only source of nutrition he had right now.

He could not afford to waste it. So he took a much smaller bite than what he intended.

The rest of the day continued similarly. He scavenged for anything he could find and use, which isn't much, if any at all. He did found a hair tie, though he still hasn't found any use for it at all.

By the end of the day, he was struggling to keep himself awake. Hans could feel his eyelids lowering as time go by.

_I can't fall asleep. I can't afford t-_

* * *

When he woke, it was to the feeling of sand on his face. He slowly opened his eyes, processing what just happened.

Hans groaned tiredly. He tried to heft himself up, but his arms ached so much he could barely roll over. He looked up at the sky. He narrowed his eyes at the glaring sun. He covered his eyes with his hand and groaned. He just realized just how much his shoulders ached.

Propping himself up, Hans looked around. He noted some rocky reefs along the shore. He thanked his luck he hadn't hit any of them.

He also saw some wreckage around him. But they were nothing but wooden planks, so he could not salvage anything. He dug into his pocket and found that the rubber band he found was still there. He decided to keep it, in case he might need it later.

_Great… Shipwrecked with nothing but my clothes and a useless hair tie…_

With some effort, he stood up in his feet and stretched his legs. He breathed in and out. He checked his clothes. His coat was torn on the right shoulder and extremely wet as well. He wouldn't want to get a cold so he took it off. His riding boots was extremely wet as well, but Hans didn't want to walk for who knows how long barefoot. He kept the shoes. He took off his gloves as it was getting more and more uncomfortable to wear them. His cravat has been long gone in the sea. Now he was only wearing his shirt and vest for a top. The vest felt really constricting, so he took it off as well. Deciding that the only thing he would really need was his coat, he started walking inland, with his wet coat in hand.

* * *

_That idiot!_

Bjorn knew that sending Hans to the coronation was a bad idea. He received a letter from Arendelle a few days ago with news that Hans tried to usurp the throne and attempted to murder the Queen. He had his doubt when he sent Hans away, but he did not expect his decision to bite him back in the back.

The large man paced in his office, contemplating of what he should write on his reply to the Queen. And to add to the problem, the ship that was supposed to bring Hans back hasn't arrived yet. By his estimation, it would only take five days, a week at most to travel between Arendelle and the Southern Isles. It has been nearly ten days. He was getting worried, not for his brother's safety; he could rot in the dungeon for all he cared. The boy had destroyed the relationship between the two kingdoms.

_Without Arendelle's trade, our kingdom would be doomed in the coming winter._

He had to salvage the situation. He sat down and perched his arm under his bearded chin. He stared at the letter on his desk. He took a fresh piece of paper and picked up his quill. He had to give a satisfying reply. His kingdom was relying on this one letter to mend the situation.

* * *

Hans had walked straight down the road for three days. He was sore, tired, hungry, and irritated. He had found the road after walking through the forest for a day. He hoped he would find a town, a village, anything really, by following the road.

So far, not so good.

He put on his coat, the ripped shoulder made it rather uncomfortable, but he could care less. It was freezing. The coat was his best source for warmth right now.

He encountered a caravan a few hours ago. He hoped to ask them for food and water. His hope was crushed when the caravan merely droved faster and ran off when they sighted him. He wanted to scream, curse them, and throw rocks at them. But he knew that would only waste the little energy he had left.

Sighting a fallen tree a few steps away, he sat down on it. He took off his worn riding boots and rubbed his aching legs. His legs felt like it was on fire. _I swear, any more of this and my feet will start getting blisters. _He winced as he rubbed his right foot to soothe the pain. It somewhat lessened, but not enough to be comfortable.

_I won't get anywhere by sitting around, _thought Hans. He put his boots back on and painfully stood up on his feet. He limped the first few steps, but the further he walked, the more used he was to the pain and he was walking normally in a matter of minutes.

The sun was close to setting and he still hadn't found anywhere to rest for the night. Worst case scenario, he would have to sleep on the cold grass. He still had his coat. But he knew that the piece of clothing would only delay the cold from creeping in.

He sighed at the thought of the deed that brought him here. He had risen so high, achieved so much, and came crashing down like a bird with broken wings. Like Icarus.

Icarus, who melted the wax on his wings because he had flown too close to the sun. He was the same, a man with ambitions, and dreams, journeying on a quest to fulfill it only to be reminded of a painful reality. He is just a single man. There is only so far a man can go before falling down.

He looked up at the sky, the sun had set. Darkness soon engulfed the land. He kept walking forward for an hour before he came across an abandoned cabin. It looked like it has been abandoned for years. He peeked inside through the window. He could see that dust had settled around the interior of the cabin. He pulled the doorknob, not really surprised to see it was shut tight.

Hans took a deep breath and positioned himself in front of the door. With the last of his energy, he kicked down the door. It fell with a loud thud that resonated through the cabin. It was small, but it was shelter, and he saw that there were a few logs of firewood stacked near the fireplace. He pulled a chair and sat in front of the fireplace. The chair creaked loudly, but he did not mind.

Hans lighted the firewood using some rocks he found around the cabin. He struggled for the first few times, but soon, he produced some satisfying sparks that lighted the firewood. He sighed in content at the warmth the fire produced. Soon, he felt himself surrendering to the need to sleep.

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**A pretty short chapter. Sorry… **

**I'm quite excited for this story, because no one has done this kind of story in this archive. Let's hope this will go well. **

**I have also picked up drawing again lately, and I drew a design for the orphan girl Hans will meet later on. Her name's Eline.**

**My Deviantart profile is Madin312  
**

**The title of the drawing is "Eline the Orphan"**

**I'm a Muslim, so I'm on fasting month now. I'll probably be a little too tired to write stuffs. I hope I write Hans' character correctly, I'm still rather inexperienced in writing, so any form of criticism would be appreciated.**

**Review, Follow, and Favorite! I'll return with an update in a few days max. **


	3. Chapter 3 : A Little Girl like You

**Under the Stars**

**A Little Girl like You**

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The town was bustling with life. He watched as people passed each other, mingling, talking, buying and selling wares. The atmosphere was strikingly familiar to his homeland. He had snuck out of the castle countless times. He preferred the bustling life of the town rather than the quiet and tranquil atmosphere of the royal palace.

Hans was sitting cross-legged on the ground, watching people walk about to do their business. It has been roughly a month since he got shipwrecked on the shore. He still didn't know where he was exactly, but from the cold weather, he deduced that he was quite up north.

He pulled the cloak he was wearing tighter around his body to try and keep himself warm. He groaned quietly as his stomach growled for food. He hadn't eaten anything for three days. The last meal he had was some leftover oatmeal a nice family just outside of town had given to him. It did not really satiate his ever-growing hunger, but he couldn't protest, really. Back then, he would even accept leftover gruel.

He was practically drooling at the sight of the bakery down the street. He would love to just snatch a loaf of bread from the counter. But he had stopped himself the other day due to the owner's habit of bringing a knife on his belt, everywhere.

_ I swear, that guy probably brings that thing to bed as well…_

Though the customers don't seem to mind this weird habit of his, they actually smiled and laughed with the owner. While the idea of a fresh loaf of bread was very tempting, he would rather keep his hands attached to his arms, thank you very much.

That and guards regularly patrol the perimeter. Usually there is a window of opportunity about half a minute long, but the owner seemed to have memorized the guards' schedule, so when there aren't any guards passing by, he made sure to stay on guard in the front of the store.

_What I wouldn't give for a slice of sandwich…_

A few houses down the road, he saw a beggar. His skin was sickly grey, his head barely covered in white hair. Hans wanted to sneer in disgust at the man, but he thought, _I'm not so different now am I?_

Hans rubbed his bearded chin. A habit he picked up recently because of his growing beard. It wasn't very long, but long enough that he could rub it. Underneath the cloak he was wearing Hans was still wearing the same shirt he had a month ago, but he replaced his pants with a more comfortable pair of trousers. He also stole a pair of leather boots. Hey, at least he left his riding boots to compensate.

He played with the hair tie he found a month ago at the ship. He still hadn't found a use for it. His hair wasn't long enough. He twirled the hair tie using his fingers in boredom. He looked up back at the bakery shop. He widened his eyes slightly when he saw a girl under the counter. Hans could not get a clear view of the girl, but he saw that she had a satchel on her.

The girl reached up from under the table. The owner was conversing with a customer, laughing away, not noticing a small pale hand reaching up from under the table to take his bread. The girl took a small piece of bread. She quickly pulled it down quickly. She seemed to sigh tiredly at the sight of the small piece of bread. Nevertheless, she put it inside her satchel. She tried her luck again on a bigger bounty. Her hand reached up again and her hand tried to grasp anything she could find. She brightened slightly when she felt she got a loaf of bread. She quickly pulled down her hand.

She looked around her for any guards before getting out from under the counter. She stuffed the loaf of bread inside her satchel.

Unfortunately, the owner seemed to notice something was amiss. He glanced behind him, and realized that a loaf of bread was missing.

"Damnation!" he cursed.

He looked around and caught sight of a girl scampering away with what looked like a loaf of bread sticking out of her satchel. With surprising speed, he took off after the girl.

Hans was admittedly surprised at the man's tenacity. He found it rather amusing as well. The girl, who finally heard the heavy footsteps going after her, forced her small feet to run.

Hans decided that watching a girl got beaten for stealing bread wasn't worth his time, so he stood up and walked away from the scene, not realizing that the girl was still running and had not been caught yet.

He walked by a building and entered an alleyway. He leaned his back on the wall, watching the slowly darkening sky. _It will rain soon, _he thought.

A few minutes had gone by. He just stood there silently as people walked by outside the dark alley trying to get home as fast as they could to avoid the coming rain. Hans was startled by the sound beside him. He just realized that he was standing next to a used barrel. The barrel made a few squeaking sounds. Hans raised his eyebrows in interest.

He faced the barrel and with a quick motion, opened the barrel. He was surprised to find the same girl he saw just now inside the thing.

"Wha-

"Stay quiet! I hear his footsteps!" said the girl to Hans. She closed the barrel again.

Hans leaned back against the barrel and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. The shop owner looked left and right before resting his eyes on him. Hans looked back at him. The bigger man approached him with his brandished knife. It made him look like a serial killer out on the streets for his next victim.

"You saw a little girl around here? Brown leather satchel?" asked the man. Hans answered back.

Hans pointed his hand to his left towards another alleyway across the street. He said, "She went that way."

The man nodded in thanks and ran off after his target. He disappeared into the next alley, leaving Hans with the girl inside the barrel. He immediately pulled the barrel lid off and threw the barrel onto the ground. The girl then fell out.

"Why did you do that!? That hurts!" asked the girl angrily. Hans just stared at her quietly. She had shoulder length messy blond hair; her face was dirty with dirt and grimes and she had a pair of fiery gray eyes that stared back defiantly at him. She was wearing a very loose shirt and a dirty long skirt. It had some cuts and rips along the edges.

"You were quite brave there, stealing bread from that man. Too bad you got found out," said Hans. His face held no expression. The girl stared at him with distrust.

"What's it to you?" the girl answered back.

"I saved your life back there. And things don't come off as free these days; you know what I'm saying. And I saw you take a loaf of bread and another piece of bread. Don't lie to me." Hans pointed his finger at the girl's face to emphasize his point.

Begrudgingly, the girl pulled out a piece of bread and handed it to him. Hans took a bite. _A little bland, but I can't complain._

"Are you satisfied now?" she sneered. Hans really wanted the loaf of bread she had in her satchel, but he won't beat her for it. _I'm not that low._

"Any chance you're giving that loaf of bread? No?"

The girl held to her satchel as if it's a lifeline, which to her, it probably was. Hans sighed tiredly.

"Fine, scamper off," said Hans as he waved his unoccupied left hand to shoo the girl away. The girl looked a little genuinely surprised. She raised her eyebrows in confusion at him, though she still held to her satchel tightly.

"That's it? You're just gonna let me go with this loaf of bread?" the girl asked while pointing her dirty finger at her satchel. Hans kept chewing on his earned piece of bread. He swallowed after a few moments and looked at her.

"You want me to change my mind? Because that idea is very tempting, just so you know." The girl shook her head. She started walking away from him. She walked to the edge of the road and inspected it for any sign of the enraged bakery owner. She turned her head and mumbled something.

Hans raised his eyebrow and asked, "What?"

"I said thanks." Then she walked away, leaving him alone again. Hans just stared ahead where the girl was. He was a little surprised at her display of gratitude.

Hans chuckled quietly, "You're welcome…" He took another bite.

* * *

**Another chapter done. So Hans finally meets Eline. They'll meet again, don't worry. **

**And I've seen Legend of Korra Book 3. I'll probably update my Avatar fanfic. Just give me a few weeks at most. I'm still quite busy this month with some things.**

**I do not own Frozen. I do however own this story.**


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